Instrument for outlining inscriptions on monuments or the like



Patented Oct. 4, 1932 UNITED STATES rates-ircaries WILLIAM H. WATTS AND ELMER J. CURRIE, OF HOULTON, MAINE I INSTRUMENT FOR OUTLINING INSCRIPTIONS N MONUMENTS OR THE LIKE Application filed June 20, 1929.

This invention relates to the art of inscribing monuments and the like, and has for one of its objects to provide a novel, simple and inexpensive instrument through the medium of which an inscription may be easily and quickly outlined or traced on a monument or the like, whereby to insure the cutting of letters and figures of correct formation and the uniform spacing of the letters, figures and words, and whereby to materially reduce the time and work involved in cutting inscriptions.

To attain the foregoing and other objects, the nature of which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention comprehends the provision of an instrument of the character stated which shall embody blank letters and figures from which the inscription will be made up, and a clamp adapted to hold the letters and figures in inscription forming relation and adapted to permit the letters and figures to be held in such position as to enable them to be easily and quickly traced or outlined on a monument or the like.

The invention also comprehends the pro vision of an instrument of the character stated wherein the clamp shall be of such construction as to enable the required letters or fig ures or both to be readily assembled and se- 30 cured therein in proper spaced relation.

The invention is hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure l is a view in front elevation of an inscription tracing or outlining instrument constructed in accordance with my invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on the vertical planes indicated by the line 22 of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the instrument.

The instrument comprises blank letters and figures. One letter and one figure are shown, and they are designated 1 and 2, respectively. The characters 1 and 2, which may be of any size and of script, Gothic or other type, may be made from light sheet metal or any other suitable material, and are provided at their lower ends with extensions or tongues 3 to permit them to be secured in a clamp 4.

Serial No. 372,353.

The clamp 4k is of elongated rectangular formation, and it may be made of metal or other suitable material and of any desired orrequired length. The clamp 4 comprises a rear bar 5 and a frontbar 6. The bar 5 is provided at its upper edge with a jaw 7 and a shoulder 8. The jaw 7 and shoulder ,8 extend throughout'the entire length of the bar -5, and the shoulder is located forwardly of the jaw and at the lower edge thereof. The front bar 6 is provided with a jaw 9, which is offsetrear wardly from the bar and extends throughout the entire length thereof. The jaws 7 and 9 are arranged in opposed relation, and the lower edge of the jaw 9 constitutes a shoulder 10 which opposes the shoulder 8.

The bars 5 and 6 are secured together by bolts 11 which comprise shanks 12 rotatably mounted in openings 13 extending transversely through the bar 6, outer heads 14 contacting with the front side of the bar 6 and provided with finger grips or lugs 15, and externally screw threaded inner heads or blocks 16 contacting with the rear side of the bar 6 and engaged in screw threaded sockets 17 formed in the bar 5 and opening out through the front side thereof. The heads 14 and 16 are diametrically larger than theshanks 12and serve, by reason of their contact with the front and rear sides of the bar 6, to swivelly connect the bolts 11 to this bar. The shanks 12 and heads 16 are made separately to permit the application of the bolts 11 to the bar 6, and after thebolts are applied to the bar these parts are secured together in any suitable manner. As they are swivelly connected to the bar 6, thebolts 11 will, when turned in one direction, cause the bars 5 and 6 and jaws 7 and 9 to approach each other and will, when turned in the opposite direction, cause the parts to move away i from each other.

In practice the characters necessary to make up the inscription to be chiseled in the monument are selected and applied to the clamp 4 with their tongues 3 positioned between the jaws 7 and 9 and resting upon the shoulder 8, and thereafter the bolts 11 are turned in the direction necessary to effect the clamping of the tongues 3 between the jaws 7 and 9. The tongues 3 support the characters above and along the upper edge of the clamp 4:, and as they contact with the shoulder 8 they support the characters in proper or horizontal alinement. To enable the characters to be readily arranged in the clamp 4 in proper or uniform spaced relation, the upper beveled edge 18 of the bar 6 is graduated, as at 19.

After the characters are secured to the clamp 4, they are supported against the monument or the like through the medium of the clamp, and they are outlined or traced on the monument or the like. lined on the monument or the like, the inscription may be easily and quickly cut into the monument or the like, and the complete inscription will embody characters of the correct formation and spacing.

From the foregoing description, taken in connectionv with the accompanying drawing, it will be apparent that the instrument is simple and capable of being manufactured and sold at a comparatively low cost, and that the clamp is of such construction as to permit the characters to be easily and quickly assembled and secured therein.

While we have described the principle of the invention together with the structure which we now consider the preferred embodiment thereof, it is to be understood that the structure shown is merely illustrative and that such changes may be made, when desired, as fall within the scope of the invention as claimed.

We claim A clamp for blank letters and figures, comprising a rear bar provided at its upper longitudinal edge with a jaw and provided below and forwardly of the body with a shoulder, a front bar resting against the rear bar and provided at its upper longitudinal edge with a rearwardly ofi'set jaw overlying the shoulder and arranged in opposed relation to said first jaw, the jaws being adapted to receive portions of the letters and figures between them and the shoulder being equal in length to the jaws and adapted to support the letters and figures, the rear bar being provided below its shoulder and in its front side with screw threaded sockets, and bolts having shanks rotatably mounted in the front bar and having inner and outer heads contacting with the inner and outer sides of said bar, the inner heads being screw threaded and engaged with said sockets, and the outer heads being provided with finger grips.

In testimony whereof we hereunto affix our signatures.

WILLIAM H. WATTS. ELMER J. GURRIE.

As it is now out- 

